The Road to Wrestlemania runs through Phoenix, as the WWE hosts its annual Elimination Chamber premiere event. This year’s Elimination Chamber match will feature most of Smackdown’s biggest stars, all of whom will vie for the WWE Championship. Will John Cena be heading into Wrestlemania as a champion, or will one of his rivals snatch the belt away from him?
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ComicBook.com has a full rundown of each match on the Elimination Chamber card, complete with our predictions on who will win each match.
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Dolph Ziggler vs. Apollo Crews and Kalisto
ComicBook.com’s Prediction: Dolph Ziggler (6-0)
Brandon Gnetz: Is handicap still the PC term for this match? Should it be a handicapable match? Either way, what a bummer for Apollo Crews and Kalisto to simply be pawns in Dolph Ziggler’s heel turn storyline. Also, what a larger bummer for Ziggler to finally turn heel and get put into a lower mid-card feud with the least interesting people on the SD roster. Just a setback all around. Ziggler wins with chairs and superkicks, otherwise what was the point of all this?
Torri Yates-Orr: Ziggler is winning because he’s the only one with an actual character in this match. Sorry Apollo and Kalisto.
Chris Killian: Dolph has always been a much better heel than a babyface (he technically murdered Jerry Lawler), so I’m good with him being a heel, and since Apollo Crews has done nothing since his debut, I saw Zig goes over on Crews.
Lan Pitts: Ziggler is wasted here. Going up against to faces that really have no character or nuance is kind of annoying as AC’s mode is either “smiling” or “watch me do flips”. Same goes with Kalisto. Even though Ziggler lost to Crews in pretty much a squash match on SmackDown recently, you can expect the Show Off to come out smiling with this one.
Dallas Jackson: It appears the WWE refuses to give up on Ziggler and so there is very little chance that he won’t hit a super kick or three to win this match. But, let’s be honest, if you have to put HEEL on your robe and trunks, your act is stale.
Nikki Bella vs. Natalya
ComicBook.com’s Prediction: Nikki Bella (6-0)
Christian Hoffer: This match should be a “Falls Count Anywhere” match, just so we could watch Natalya and Nikki beat the snot out of each other all over the stadium. Since Nikki has the (rumored) Wrestlemania match, she’s getting the win here, but expect this to be a nasty hard-fought affair.
Dallas Jackson: Nikki is on her way out and this story line is about as tired as … well, Dolph Zigger…. so, she will win and help advance her way out the door near the top of the pack.
Lan Pitts: Good storytelling dictates that Nikki comes out on top here after Natalya destroyed her on Talking Smack. I wish I cared about the Bellas, like…at all, so I’m hoping Nattie surprises us with a win, but I’m not too hopeful.
Chris Killian: Nikki is headed to one last emotional run, unless her neck is worse off than we know about, in which case, Natalya could get the rub here. But I give it to Nikki.
Torri Yates-Orr: Nikki’s gotta win. Supposedly this might be Nikki’s last run heading into Mania so they gotta give her the win here and make her look strong. Although, I will miss Nattie’s devastating insults.
Tag Team Turmoil Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Championship
ComicBook.com’s Prediction: American Alpha (5-1)
Brandon Gnetz: The biggest turmoil here is trying to figure out why there are so many jobber teams on Smackdown. Alpha should definitely win this one, but I’ll go with The Usos and I’m not really sure why.
Lan Pitts: Given the fact that the Club/Good Brothers/whatever you want to call them finally got the Tag Team titles, it would be awesome to see guys like the Vaudevillains or the Ascension take him the gold. They were in NXT for what seems like an eternity and even a momentary reign would compensate for a little of that.
Dallas Jackson: The only logical answer here is for American Alpha to win. Why put them to the belt just to lose in some crazy TTT match?
Christian Hoffer: My heart is telling me Breezango, but my head is telling me American Alpha. Please let this end with the Revival showing up at the end so American Alpha can finally have some real competition on the main roster.
Torri Yates-Orr: AMERICAN ALPHA has to win. They represent what makes America great. Diversity. Physical Fitness and hair flips. I would love if the heel Usos got a run, but I don’t see them changing the belts here.
Randy Orton vs. Luke Harper
ComicBook.com’s Prediction: Randy Orton (6-0)
Lan Pitts: Why is this a match? Are we seriously going to believe that Harper, a one-time and brief IC Champion could actually defeat Orton? Maybe Harper will come close and we can see what he can do up against Orton, but look for the Viper to come out on top here.
Dallas Jackson: Similar answer here as the Tag event, why have Randy Orton win the Rumble for him to fall in the next PPV. That isn’t going to build a compelling storyline moving forward.
Chris Killian: RO takes it to build his push to Wrestlemania.
Torri Yates-Orr: No way in hell, the Royal Rumble winner is losing to our favorite kooky cousin, Luke Harper. Randy wins.
Brandon Gnetz: The battle of who hears the most voices in their head! Love Luke Harper’s weird face turn and hope he gets time to shine on his own, but Randall isn’t taking two three second tans in a row. RKO Outta somewhere you’d probably expect for the win.
Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James
ComicBook.com’s Prediction: Becky Lynch (4-2)
Torri Yates-Orr: I could see Mickie James winning this just to assert her dominance in the women’s division so this one is a tossup. I’m gonna go with my gut and say Mickie wins.
Chris Killian: Becky’s got this one.
Brandon Gnetz: Mickie has really been fire on the mic since her return. Maybe not straight fire, but definitely a directional fire of some sort. She could really use a win in her first match, but something tells me she’s getting her Lass kicked. Becky wins.
Lan Pitts: Mickie, 100%
Christian Hoffer: If Becky had any friends on the roster, this would probably end with another betrayal and a win for Mickie. But since this is just a simple 1v1 match, I think Becky should win this one pretty convincingly.
Smackdown Women’s Championship Match: Alexa Bliss (c) vs. Naomi
ComicBook.com’s Prediction: Alexa Bliss (6-0)
Dallas Jackson: Unapologetic Alexa Bliss fan here…. I think this is going to be a very entertaining match and Noami will put on a good show, but somehow Bliss will come away with the strap.
Torri Yates-Orr: Alexa Bliss has the best facial expressions of any human being on this planet. Her eye rolls are pure art and should be put in the Louvre. I think she’s keeping the belt but I need Naomi to get a run with it. She’s consistently put in great work and deserves a title run.
Brandon Gnetz: This has been thrown together so quickly that I can’t possibly fathom Naomi going over the best female heel on the roster. I’d like to see what Naomi can do with a glow in the dark championship belt, but I think it’s a little too soon. Alexa retains and remains perfect in every way (PS Alexa, I love you).
Lan Pitts: Alexa, 1000%
Christian Hoffer: Sticking with my Ohio brethren on this one. Alexa Bliss scores the win and gives the Internet a billion more reaction GIFs in the process.
Elimination Chamber Match: John Cena (c) vs. AJ Styles vs. Bray Wyatt vs. Dean Ambrose vs. The Miz vs. Baron Corbin
ComicBook.com’s Prediction: Bray Wyatt (6-0)
Chris Killian: All signs point to Bray taking home the big one, which is a really bad timing in my opinion considering all of his stop-go pushes. He’s damaged goods at this point and to take the title only to lose it a month later to Randy will do nothing to help his legacy. But he’s still my pick to win.
Torri Yates-Orr: I don’t know why I love Elimination Chamber matches but I do. That structure makes no sense and I love it. We all know that I think AJ Styles is the best wrestler in the world but he’s not taking it this time. The consensus is that Bray Wyatt will win the belt and I am all for it. Bray Wyatt deserves a WWE title run and needs to hold on to it past Mania. Maybe the belt will help him to build his cult past just two members.
Brandon Gnetz:Bray Wyatt is winning. We all know this. If anyone else picked otherwise, they haven’t been paying attention. But, here’s the kicker. Now the WWE knows that we all know, so will they try to swerve us? I could see a scenario where Cena retains, yet Bray is still able to find his way into the Mania main event. As good as the Wyatt Orton story will be, how much better would a Cena vs Orton vs Wyatt story be? Plus, we haven’t had a good Triple Threat Wrestlemania Championship main event in a hot minute. The more I type, the more I like this idea. However, I, like the WWE, am afraid to make a big gamble, so I’ll still have to go with Wyatt.
Lan Pitts:It is a crime that Bray Wyatt has not held a single championship since his makeover. He’s incredibly over, has clashed with literally some of the biggest names the company has thrown at him and win or lose, he’s come out looking like a champ. I still can’t believe WWE is trying to make Baron Corbin a thing when you’ve had Bray Wyatt this whole time. Dean’s position in this match is weird and definitely seems forced, but since SmackDown is limited in power players, in the match he goes. It’s been a long time coming for Bray and here’s hoping he comes out with the championship gold.
Christian Hoffer:This is a weird, weird match. We know the ending (Bray Wyatt wins) and I’m guessing he pins Dean Ambrose to do it. The Miz eliminates John Cena, which kicks off that Wrestlemania program, and AJ Styles does some ridiculous stunt that makes everyone else look bad by comparison.
